NATO Secretary General Ready To Send Troops to Turkey

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, on October 6, 2015, ahead of a meeting of the alliance's defence ministers later this week. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that Russian violations of Turkish airspace were "not an accident" after Turkey complained of two incursions by Moscow's jets. NATO defence ministers meet in Brussels on October 8 to review progress on boosting the alliance's rapid response force, largely drawn up in response to the Ukraine crisis. AFP PHOTO / THIERRY CHARLIER

BRUSSELS — NATO's secretary general, the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, said on Thursday that he is prepared to send ground forces to Turkey wherever they're needed "to deter and defend against threats."

"to deter and defender against threats."

During his news conference at a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels, Stoltenberg said that the 28 allies have given the green light to the completed plan for an enhanced NATO Response Force.

"We now have everything in place to make the Response Force stronger, faster and more capable. This force will count up to 40,000 troops. That's twice as many troops as the current level of troops in the NATO Response Force," Stoltenberg said. "NATO will defend you. NATO is on the ground. NATO is ready."

It is a clear message not only for eastern allies but also for southern allies, specifically Turkey.

"This is not just about the east. We face threats from many directions, and in many different forms. Our military commanders have confirmed that we already have what we need to deploy NATO Response Force to the South," Stoltenberg said in his initial statement.

Stoltenberg also condemned as "unacceptable" the recent violations of Turkish airspace by Russian fighters. He criticized the "escalation of Russian military activity in Syria," saying it raises "serious concerns.

Asked about the collective defense of Turkey, Stoltenberg said: "Turkey is a strong ally, our second strongest army."

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